i get good speed towards the wake, and get about 3/4 rotation with my board hitting the water first. my only problem is that my momentum carries me straight accross the wake with no upward pop. I am doing the tantrum with about 4 ft of air and my wake is pretty decent. How do i get more upward pop without sacrificing speed?

Leo. I had the same problem went I was learning Tantrums. It sounds like you are trying to throw it to early. Don't exaggerate the edge change and throw it too early. Ride up the wake like you're going to throw back flip off of your heels and turn your back to wake at the last split second. When you time it right, you'll get the pop and the rotation without even trying to backflip. Try waiting a little longer for the edge change and let us know. Once you land the first one, they're cake!

I'm stealing this from another board where I answered the same question, here's my take on it:

They way Kyle Schmidt taught me a few(7) years back was get really wide and come in like a maniac on your hardest edge. Then as you got near the wake maybe 8 feet out get hard on your toes and stop yourself before you cross the wake. Practice this a dozen times to where you can stop yourself right at the top of the wake without going over. It's not about backing off on your cut, it's about getting on your toes and stopping your cut. Then once you got that go for the tantrum, basically wait a few feet more to back off and be sure to pop off the top of the wake perfectly square.

I was doing the same thing when I started to throw a tantrum. Make sure you do not throw it to early(previously said), also make sure to push your chest out and throw your head straight back. keep your eyes open to spot the landing. If you put your head on your shoulder the opposite shoulder will follow and you will go to revert.

actually kyle says NOT to throw your head back. doing the tantrum laid out creates bad habits and will make it very difficult to ever progress the trick (like to grab it indy).

you want to stand tall at the wake and then kick up your feet. throwing your head back prevents you from taking the trick up - it sends the trick horizontally across the wake, which isn't good. it's doable - like mike mclin says in the wakeworld instructional on tantrums (http://www.wakeworld.com/Tricklist/TrickTip006.asp:

quote:

Once you are at the very top of the wake, lift off. You want to take this trick up, not out. The trick should feel like you are just jumping straight up and landing in the same spot...

The tantrum isn't a really technical trick. Most people can accomplish this trick with poor wakeboarding technique.

check out this sequence of sean o'brien doing an indy tantrum:

notice where his head is. right at the begining he's standing straight up, then going for grab...

he's looking down at his feet! even rotating he's looking forward...not back...

I was told make sure to stand tall when you come off the wake (don't bend at the waist) Keep you chest out, and also when you release your back hand, keep your front hand close to your body just for the take off